Nanako: The Girl Who Plays With Youkai
by Kappa Kappa
Summary: 15 year old Nanako is a bit different from other girls. She can see youkai! After befriending a kappa, she starts seeing more youkai than ever, and they're not necessarily friendly. This is the tale of Nanako: The Girl Who Plays With Youkai.
1. Prelude

**Nanako: The girl who plays with Youkai**

**Prelude**

"Excuse me young lady, but do you think I'm pretty?"

The teenage girl turned around. The train station was usually busy at this time. However, this night, the train station was eerily hollow, no one was there except her and that person.

"Hmmm? Who are you?" the teenager asked, glancing at the stranger.

The lady was just a bit taller than the teenager at around 5'6". She had long, flowing, blue hair, and a pale complexion. A surgical mask hid the lady's mouth.

"Maybe she has a cold?" the girl thought to herself.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just asking a simple question: am I pretty or not?" the lady asked impatiently.

"Umm…. Yes, you are very pretty!" answered the teenage girl.

"Am I pretty now?" the lady asked, taking her mask off.

The teenager gasped.

The lady's smile turned into something horribly wretched. Her grin stretched all the way to her ears and her teeth grew bigger and sharper!

The teenager screamed, her voice echoing throughout the train station. She then ran out of the station as fast as she could, the slit-mouth woman laughing hysterically.


	2. The Meeting

**The Meeting**

"Nanako! Wake up! Breakfast is ready!"

"Ughhhhh…" groaned Nanako

"It's summer, why do I have to wake up?" Nanako asked herself

"Oh yeah! The festival!" She shouted out loud.

With that, she quickly jumped out of her bed and jolted down the stairs.

"Good morning Nanako!" her dad said

Nanako's dad already was dressed in his work outfit, which was in fact, a Shinto priest's clothing. Her father is a priest at a local temple that is currently getting ready for the summer festival, something only their town has.

"Good morning dad!" replied Nanako

"Oh my, your hair looks so messy! Nanako, after breakfast, get ready and brush your hair! I have some errands for you!" Her mom said

Nanako grumbled to herself. Nanako's mom is a stay-at-home mom but she does fortune telling as a hobby, and is shockingly accurate.

Nanako finally finished her breakfast and ran up to her room. She looked in the mirror. Her short, black hair was a mess.

"Oh gosh, mom was right." Nanako mumbled to herself

She quickly changed into a shirt and shorts and then combed her hair into place.

"Alright!"

She looked at the mirror again and then ran down the stairs to her mom.

"Okay mom! I'm ready!" Nanako said.

"Alright. I need you to go buy some groceries. Here's a list of what we need to get and the money for the food."

"Rodger that!" responded Nanako, taking the list and money then bolting through the door.

"Be careful!" Shouted her mom

"I will!" Nanako shouted back

"Let's see~ Eggs, ham, fish, tofu, and…"

Nanako read the list that her mom gave her while running. She slowly decreased her pace as she finished reading the list, eventually coming to a full stop. She suddenly realized that she missed a turn. She sighed.

"Well, I guess I have to walk back now. Ugh, this summer heat is killing me!"

"Me too!" said a tiny voice

Nanako jumped back in alarm. A small, shriveled animal was resting next to her foot. It looked like it was in pain.

"Um… What are you?" Nanako asked.

"Me? Oh, I'm a kappa… Wait? You can see me?" exclaimed the kappa

"Oh my gosh! A real kappa! Wait here! I'm going to the grocery store right now! I'll get you some water!" shouted Nanako as she sprinted down the street.

Nanako poured the icy cold water on the kappa's head.

"Do you feel better now?" asked Nanako

"Oh yes! I feel much better! I am forever in your debt!" said the kappa

"Aw now, it's okay. How did you get to be so shriveled anyways?"

"Well, I was on my way to get some kappa makki* but all of a sudden, it got so sunny that the water in my bowl dried up!"

"Bowl?" Nanako asked

"You know, this yellow thing on my head!" the kappa pointed to the indent in his head, which was yellow.

"Oh, I see." Nanako said. Amusement shone in her eyes

"Yes. By the way, what is your name?" asked the kappa

"My name is Nanako!"

Nanako bowed

"Well, my name is Kappa!"

"Hmmm… I think I'll call you Ka-pi!" said Nanako

"Ka-pi?" asked the kappa, tilting his head

"Oh no! Ka-pi! Watch out!" Nanako exclaimed

All of the water in Ka-pi's bowl dripped out.

"Nooooooooo!" Said Ka-pi. And then, he fainted.

Nanako slapped her forehead.


	3. Disturbance

**Disturbance**

Nanako sighed. It took her longer than it should have to get the groceries. On top of that, it was extremely hot.

"Master Nanako, do you need help with carrying those bags?" asked Ka-pi

"No, I'm fine. Besides, you're too small to carry all these things yourself." Said Nanako

"Ah… If only my friends were here. With all of us combined, we can carry anything! It's too bad that they moved away…." Said Ka-pi with a sad look on his face

"Moved away?" asked Nanako, curiously

"Yes… There have been… disturbances lately around the pond and it's gotten too dangerous for us Kappa to live…. Everyone left for different ponds except for me." Sighed Ka-pi

"Too dangerous? Is it a youkai?" asked Nanako

"Yes… There have been tengu that frequently start a ruckus there. They killed a lot of stray kappa if they were not in the water. There are a lot of restless souls there too, and these are more than usual." Said Ka-pi, worriedly

"Tengu and spirits of the dead…. I can ask my dad to purify it for you!" said Nanako

"Really?" said Ka-pi

"Of course! My dad is very strong when it comes to purifications!" said Nanako

"Ho… Is that so?" said a gruff voice

Nanako turned around. The voice came from a tall, bird-faced creature. It was a tengu!

"Run master!" screamed Ka-pi

Nanako scooped up Ka-pi and started running, the tengu right behind them.

"It's no use! The tengu can fly!" yelled Ka-pi

"I know of a safe place!" Nanako yelled back, confidently

Nanako kept on running until finally, they reached the temple

" A temple?" questioned Ka-pi

"Exactly!" Nanako said as she started bolting up the very steep stairs.

"You're not getting away!" yelled the tengu

The tengu started flying above the stairs and reached out for Nanako's hair. He missed. As soon as Nanako and Ka-pi ran past the entrance gate, the tengu flew right into a clear wall and was blown backwards.

"This temple is sacred and there's seals to repel evil and malicious demons. If they have evil intent, they will be rejected." Nanako said proudly. She stuck out her tongue.

"I see!" said Ka-pi

"Now, I know of a way to get back home using a different route! Lets go!" exclaimed Nanako

They ran past all the booths that were being set up for the festival and went inside the temple.

"Hey master Nanako, do you know of the ritual the youkai clan of this town have every year?" asked Ka-pi

"No I haven't. What do you do?" Nanako asked

"Well, every year, we choose a human from the festival and we give them the ability to see us!" said Ka-pi

"Really? Then how can I see you right now?"

"Well, maybe your parents are both sensitive to ghosts and the supernatural?"

"That's understandable" Nanako said to herself

"You should meet beautiful leader, Jorogumo sometime!" exclaimed Ka-pi

"The spider lady?" asked Nanako, surprised

"Yes. You know of her?" Ka-pi asked, curiously

"I've only heard of her in myths, but yes, I have heard of her!" said Nanako

Nanako and Ka-pi were now in the basement of the temple, which had an underground tunnel. This tunnel led to many other tunnels including one to subway stations.

"Let's go!" Shouted Nanako


	4. Am I Pretty?

**Am I Pretty?**

Nanako and Ka-pi continued a long the dark underground tunnel. The sounds of trains kept them on the edges of their feet.

"Alright, I think we just need to turn here." Said Nanako

"Yes, master Nanako!" Ka-pi said, following right behind her.

The two turned into another tunnel, leading them to an empty train station.

"Huh. That's strange! We should be at a different train station!" said Nanako, exhausted from the long walk

"Maybe we missed a tunnel?"

"No, that's impossible! I know these tunnels like the back of my hand!"

"Maybe your hands have deceived you?" said Ka-pi in a serious tone

"No. But this is strange…." Nanako thought a loud

All of a sudden, a voice came out of nowhere

"Excuse me, little girl?"

Nanako and Ka-pi jumped back in astonishment. While they were talking, a lady with long, blue hair with a surgical mask around her mouth appeared.

"Y-yes?" Nanako stuttered

"Am I pretty?" asked the lady

Ka-pi immediately jumped onto Nanako's arm and crawled up to her ear.

"Don't answer it!" He whispered

"Why?" Nanako whispered back

"Because, she's the kuchisake-onna*! If you answer, she'll cut your mouth like hers regardless if you say if she's pretty or not!"

"Well then, what should I do?" Nanako whispered in a panic

"I'm waiting!" the kuchisake-onna said impatiently

Ka-pi whispered something into Nanako's ear

"Will this actually work?" Nanako asked, looking at Ka-pi

"Yes! Now do it!" Ka-pi said

Nanako turned to the kuchisake-onna

"Well, am **I **pretty?" Nanako asked, titling her head sideways

"Um…." The kuchisake-onna started to think

"Run for it!" yelled Ka-pi

And with that said, Nanako sprinted up the stairs of the train station. The kuchisake-onna was still thinking. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they were in front of Nanako's house.

"How in the world…?" Nanako said in disbelief

"It was an illusion, most likely casted by the kuchisake-onna." Said Ka-pi

"Well, anyways, glad to be home!" Nanako said, excitedly.

She opened the door to see her mom telling a fortune to a neighbor.

"Hi Nanako! Took you long enough to get the groceries!" Nanako's mom said, not looking at Nanako

"Just put the groceries on the table." She added

"Okay!" Nanako said cheerfully, and then ran up the stairs.

"What a good girl!" the neighbor said

"Yes she is…. Wait… Nanako! These eggs are all cracked!" Nanako's mom cried

Nanako ignored her mom and instead, went to sleep, Ka-pi right next to her.

*Kappa Makki is a type of sushi roll with a cucumber in the middle. It is supposedly the Kappa's favorite food.

*Kuchisake-onna means slit-mouthed woman


End file.
